Road test: Skoda Yeti Outdoor SE 2.0

Skoda’s compact family SUV/hatchback, the Yeti, has been a big hit since it arrived in 2009. The face-lifted and more focused second generation arrives this month, with sharper looks, more equipment and a much better quality cabin.

The standard Yeti is aimed at townies but there will also be a slightly more rough-tough looking outdoor version for people needing moderate off-roading ability.

With petrol and diesel engines from 1.2 to two litres and prices from £16,600 to £27,050, Skoda seems to have covered all the bases. The cabin is roomy, especially in the back, and the car rides well. The two-litre diesel engine with either 110 or 140PS will be the biggest UK sellers, especially the more powerful version.

The outdoor is available as a two-wheel-drive or 4x4, which has an improved all-wheel-drive system which works well. OK, it’s no mountain goat, but even on standard winter tyres it copes well with slithery mud and awkward cambers like a much more focused and expensive 4x4 and should easily cope with whatever the weather might throw at, say, a farmer or a vet.

Optional equipment includes a rear-view camera, keyless entry and start system, heated windscreen and 12-speaker sound system. You can also have a panoramic tilt/slide sunroof. New headlamps and lower-mounted fog lamps distinguish it at the front, and there are styling tweaks at the rear, too, although it remains recognisably a Yeti.